It says a lot for a "little" XBLA RPG to be able to hold its own sitting next to Batman: Arkham City, as it did in the Warner Bros. Booth at E3 in June. Now we know why: Bastion is something special, clearly made with love and oodles of talent. Here's to one of the very best games of the summer – downloadable or otherwise.

Truthfully, Bastion could be sold on its presentation alone; the game's hyper-detailed 2D graphics along with its eclectic and moving soundtrack perfectly match the well-told and understated story. But beneath this pretty packaging, there's a real game here -- and a good one at that. Supergiant Games seems to have done the seemingly impossible by creating the perfect mesh of game and story, all while preventing each of these elements from overpowering one another. Other developers, take note: this is how it's done.

In all it's familiarity the Diabloesque gameplay sucks you in, but it is the beautiful word, the brilliant music, and the genius voice over that keeps you going. Bastion might be a game, but it's much more a fascinating fairy tale told in real time.

This is one of the best games to be released in 2011.It's just amazing in every sense and the cherry on the cake is...only 15 dollars.ThisThis is one of the best games to be released in 2011.It's just amazing in every sense and the cherry on the cake is...only 15 dollars.This has $60 worth of quality content and then some.You just never know anymore,I was looking forward to Dirt 3 and while very good, it was a let down.This is a game that is just screaming with new ideas and content.It's an Indie game,WHAT?Craaazy…Collapse

It's an XBLA/Steam title from indie developer Supergiant Games. Top-down action adventure. It's biggest claim to fame is that lush art style -It's an XBLA/Steam title from indie developer Supergiant Games. Top-down action adventure. It's biggest claim to fame is that lush art style - and the fact that the story and the levels are narrated to you by a single character who reacts to your actions at a level of detail that rivals the Maddens of the world. It's post-apocalyptic: it takes place in a world that was torn apart by something called the Calamity, and your job is to fix it. The game's visual style is highly abstract, colorful and rich. Dial a dreamscape from a painter's storybook to 11 and you might get something like Bastion. I find it about as gorgeous as a game can get. A key thing to point out is the way the landscape flies in: you start out most levels on a single small island floating in a whirling, colorful void. As you move around, fragments of the level will fly in and assume the expected positions. It supports the core premise: that you're seeing a tale spun to life by someone's vocal storytelling, so many details are missing and you're more getting the gist of it - or maybe it's accurate, and it's because of the peculiar way that the Calamity killed the world. The player can decide. My only complaint about the visuals are the enemy designs, some of which were a bit uninspired. The animations were also one of the low points, although at worst they were mediocre, and they tended higher than that. The developers say that they told their musician that they wanted "a fantasy frontier world", and he obliged with a musical style he called â…Expand

Awesome game. Combat felt great, awesome story and fantastic looking world. Loved the music too - going to buy the soundtrack!!! One of theAwesome game. Combat felt great, awesome story and fantastic looking world. Loved the music too - going to buy the soundtrack!!! One of the best indie games that I've played all year.…Expand

One of my favorite games of the year, likely just one of my favorite games. Period. Fantastic combat, art, music (!!!); the narrator is aOne of my favorite games of the year, likely just one of my favorite games. Period. Fantastic combat, art, music (!!!); the narrator is a unique addition that isn't tacked on, but well executed. It's a game I see myself returning to year after year for all those reasons.Including the story actually; by the end I found myself surprisingly invested in it. I can't recommend this game enough, and the cheap price certainly doesn't hurt.…Expand

One of my favorite games of all time. Old school, yet still inventive story telling, fun and relatively balanced action, varied enemies,One of my favorite games of all time. Old school, yet still inventive story telling, fun and relatively balanced action, varied enemies, beautiful graphics, and a fantastic and thoughtful experience. I couldn't really ask for much more. Action RPGs make a lot of missteps these days, but Bastion is a game that does it completely right. A must buy, especially for the price.…Expand

Bastion boasts an incredible soundtrack and some of the most delightful graphics of any game on the market today, making it a wonderfulBastion boasts an incredible soundtrack and some of the most delightful graphics of any game on the market today, making it a wonderful sensory experience. Aside from some flaws in the cohesion of the story, this game is a new landmark for indie/small studio games, standing tall next to heavyweights like Braid and Limbo.…Expand

Clearly, I just don't get this game. While I LOVED the music and thought the art style was great, I gotta admit that I thought the story wasClearly, I just don't get this game. While I LOVED the music and thought the art style was great, I gotta admit that I thought the story was stupid and found the game-play to be boring. Plus, the game is less than 5 hours long which is a little less than I would like for $15.…Expand